


Golden Trio

by stupiddragon



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Background Norkara, Background Simarkus, Bants, F/F, Gen, Jericrew, Josh is a lonely boi, Luther mentioned, M/M, New Jericho, Post-Pacifist Best Ending (Detroit: Become Human), Secret Santa, Simon/North BroTP, wholesome fic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-02
Updated: 2019-01-02
Packaged: 2019-10-02 14:30:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,686
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17265881
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stupiddragon/pseuds/stupiddragon
Summary: Something was wrong with Josh. Or, more accurately, North and Simon felt that something was just… a bit off about him lately. Neither of them could quite put a finger on it, and neither knew why, but he'd just been acting strange.It started as bailing early whenever the group hung out together. Josh would excuse himself to work on a lesson plan, or prepare materials for his classes. Then he seemed to avoid time with Simon, North, and the others altogether- no, he was too busy, he didn't have time, maybe later.It was frustrating, North and Simon had agreed, and neither of them knew what to do or how to approach it. Yeah, Josh had plenty to keep him occupied while he taught his classes-- not only to the YK-models of Jericho but to others, and even occasionally substituting in the Detroit school system or universities-- but he needed to take a break once in a while, didn't he?(In which North and Simon make it their mission to cheer up Josh, bants happen, and everything is wholesome).





	Golden Trio

**Author's Note:**

> Hey all! This fic is a (late) secret santa gift for Smug from the D:BH discord I'm in! I haven't written the Jericrew before so forgive me if my characterizations don't quite line up with what fanon seems to be. I also didn't striiiictly follow the prompt but I've tried to include everything! Hope you like it Smug, Merry Christmas/Happy New Year!! <3

Something was wrong with Josh. Or, more accurately, North and Simon felt that something was just… a bit _off_ about him lately. Neither of them could quite put a finger on it, and neither knew why, but he'd just been acting strange.

It started as bailing early whenever the group hung out together. Josh would excuse himself to work on a lesson plan, or prepare materials for his classes. Then he seemed to avoid time with Simon, North, and the others altogether- no, he was too busy, he didn't have time, maybe later.

It was frustrating, North and Simon had agreed, and neither of them knew what to do or how to approach it. Yeah, Josh had plenty to keep him occupied while he taught his classes— not only to the YK-models of Jericho but to others, and even occasionally substituting in the Detroit school system or universities— but he needed to take a break once in a while, didn't he?

It was roughly 3 o'clock PM, about time for Josh's class with the kids of New Jericho to end. Simon and North waltzed into the modest classroom just as the children were packing up their supplies. North was here on a mission: pick up Alice. Simon wasn't, but he was generally glued to North's side these days, at least whenever Markus wasn't around.

"Hey, squirt!" North grinned, sliding in behind Alice to snatch her up in her arms. The girl giggled hysterically, squirming and flailing to be put down.

"NORTH!!" she laughed, wiggling her way free (but only because North let her). "Where's Kara?"

North ruffed Alice's hair just a bit. Simon had taken up packing the girl's things, since she wasn't going to get it done with her third guardian, who was perhaps more ill-disciplined and rambunctious than any of the children in this room. She lifted herself up to sit on the desk and replied, "She was just getting ready to go out. We're gonna drop you off with Luther today."

Alice pouted, frowning up at the woman. "Aw, why can't me and Luther go with you?"

"Because Luther," Simon interjected as he tapped a stack of papers together on the desk, "Wants to hog you _all_ to himself."

"Really?!" Alice giggled.

"You _are_ his favorite person after all," Simon smiled. "But you didn't hear that from me."

With all of Alice's supplies neatly gathered into her backpack and the zipper pulled tight, Simon held it out for Alice to slide her arms into the straps, which she did. North hopped down from her perch on the desk and surveyed the classroom for its teacher. There he was, across the room speaking to one of his students, a little boy who was bouncing excitedly about what the next lesson was going to be.

North rolled her eyes— she'd never gone to school, but she didn't think she'd ever be happy, let alone _excited,_ to be cooped up in a room and forced to do whatever someone else told her for eight hours straight. That was probably why she hadn't opted to get a traditional job like many other androids already had. Well, that and the fact that she'd taken up a position as one of the leaders of New Jericho, but she still didn't have an office and despised doing paperwork.

"Hey, teacher!" North shouted over the little heads that were beginning to file out of the room. She raised her hand up high. "I have a question."

Josh looked supremely annoyed, huffing at the interruption. He patted the kid he'd been talking to on the shoulder, urging him to run along, and weaved his way around the desks and over to Simon, North, and Alice.

"You better not ask me when the homework is due, because I told the class three times," he said with a playful smirk, arms crossed over his chest. Both Simon and North mirrored his expression.

Clicking her tongue against her teeth, North snorted. "Psh, like I'd even do the homework."

"Role model, North!" Simon nudged her with an elbow, nodding his head towards Alice. North only nudged him back. Simon shook his head and turned back to Josh. "The question was actually about whether you wanted to join us going into the city tonight."

Josh seemed to consider this for a brief moment. "Yeah? Where to?"

North shrugged. "Just around. Wherever."

"We could do some window shopping," Simon suggested.

"Kara likes window shopping!" piped Alice, earning a fond laugh and a pat from North.

"Oh, right— Are Kara and Markus coming, then?" Josh asked, eyes flitting from the girl to his friends. The question seemed less interested and more... cautious.

"Yeah," North nodded. "Kara and Simon can do some shopping and me and Markus can... be dragged along, I guess."

Simon suddenly looked utterly offended, though it was all for show. "Shopping isn't that bad, is it?!"

"Well—"

"Actually, you guys, I think I'm gonna sit this one out," Josh interjected, hand half raised as if that was the only way to get the other two's attention. "I've got a lot of work to do, so... you know how it is."

Both North and Simon turned to Josh with the same knitted eyebrows and pouting frown. "But it's _Friday!_ " they objected in unison, North elbowing Simon in the ribs for the jinx. Josh's shoulders scrunched up towards his ears and he raised both his hands defensively.

"Lesson plans take a long time, I'm sorry!" he insisted. "I'd just rather get a head start and not worry about it later."

North's frown deepened as she squinted at her friend, head cocked and arms crossed as she evaluated his excuses. Finally, she decided not to fight him and straightened herself up.

"Fine, but you're coming with us next time, _Mr. Josh_ ," she said, leaning in to jab towards the man's nose with a perfectly manicured, pointed nail. "Have fun _working_."

With a flip of her red hair over her shoulder, the woman turned around to saunter out the door, motioning for Alice to follow. The girl waved at her teacher and gave a bubbly goodbye as she skipped backwards out into the hall. Simon was left alone with the teacher, a sigh caught in his chest, and a pleading look in his big, blue eyes.

"We rarely see you anymore," he said quietly.

"You see me almost every day," Josh replied, though he was looking at his shoes and not at his friend. "Really, I'm sorry. I've just... got a lot to do."

"We _all_ have a lot to do, but we can't work ourselves into the ground. Please, Josh, give yourself a break."

The teacher hesitated, looking anywhere but Simon's eyes and shuffling his feet on the ground. When he finally looked up, his face was nothing but apologetic. "Sorry, but... Maybe next time," he said.

Simon finally let loose a long, soft sigh. Gently, he placed a hand on Josh's shoulder. "Remember we're here if you need a rest, okay?"

Josh placed a hand over Simon’s, casting his gaze down.

"Yeah... yeah, I know."

 

* * *

 

"URGH! What the hell is _wrong_ with him?!"

As it turned out, Kara and Markus were the ones who were enjoying this window shopping trip the most, while Simon and North lagged behind. Currently they sat on a bench outside the small toy store Kara had insisted on going on— there was a fox in the window that reminded her of a toy Alice used to have— waiting for their significant others to return.

North had been expressing her frustration with Josh’s avoidance with flailing hands and exasperated growls. Simon kept a mostly quiet, pensive gaze, watching the cars pass by them as he tried to solve the mystery.

“I don’t know... “ he mumbled. “It seems like he’s lost interest in any of the things we normally do together.”

Walks through the city, playing games, watching movies, and just enjoying each other’s company were lost on Josh now, it seemed, and for no particular reason— at least not one that Simon could pinpoint.

“Sounds like he’s just tired of us.” North leaned back in her seat, arms crossed tight across her chest and her lips twisted into a scowl. Simon shook his head, frowning at her.

“No, that’s not it,” he said. North and Josh hadn’t always had the smoothest relationship, at least not during the events of the revolution, but that was long past them. It had been six months since then, and they’d since smoothed things over. “Maybe he _is_ just overwhelmed. He’s taken on a lot.”

North huffed dismissively. “Markus is the face of our people— he’s busier than any of us will ever be, and he still manages to find time for his friends.”

“He can handle that. It’s part of his nature,” Simon replied, a bit of defensive bite in his tone. “But he knows he can’t work all the time—”

“I think it’s more like _you_ won’t let him,” North interrupted with a smirk. Simon gave a bashful smile, but it disappeared quickly.

“Then we can’t let Josh, either. Maybe we should do something for him.”

“Like what? He never comes when we invite him to do anything.”

Simon looked back out to the street, head tilted as he wracked his digital brain. What could they do for Josh that would could cheer him up? Something that he would really, really like?

Both the androids watched their surroundings for a clue. Self-driving and manually-driven cars rolled by, people strolled through the streets. None of the shop fronts caught Simon’s interest, at least not as something to do for Josh. He looked up at the billboards flashing above them. One for a new musical about the Motor City itself— that might be interesting, but Josh didn’t seem like a theater person— and another for Coca Cola, which wasn’t any use to androids.

“Simon!” North jostled her friend’s arm, pointing out down the sidewalk. “Look!”

Simon’s gaze followed her finger to a small screen scrolling through advertisements. He scanned through the one North had pointed to and grinned. _Perfect._

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!


End file.
